Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix 2015

“These are wines which are instantly alluring, temptingly drinkable already
whilst being very clearly for the longer term with incredible finishes that are long and persistent.”
Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW

Much has already been written about the 2015 vintage, accompanied by many a detailed graph showing rain v. heat v. rolling averages, and many other permutations besides, to illuminate the 2015 growing season. We, however, will content ourselves with bare facts and, more importantly, notes on the wines themselves. Edouard Moueix, always very circumspect when it comes to vintage inflation, could scarcely conceal his excitement over the wines, saying that their 2015s are something very special indeed, and comparing them to their outstanding 1998s; Christian Moueix felt that they had much in common with the legendary 1961s.

2015 was marked by a most unusual growing season, with many experienced vignerons saying they have never seen the like. After a wet winter, spring was incredibly warm and dry, with early budburst followed by a quick, even flowering between 27th May and 4th June for Pomerol and St Emilion, bringing with it the hope of a decent sized, early vintage. June and July were hot, exceptionally so between 30th June and 6th July, with no rainfall at all, August however was slightly cooler and wetter, with much-needed rain at the beginning of the month kick-starting the véraison, the process whereby the grapes change from green to red, and unblocking the vines on those few plots suffering from water stress. The rain continued on and off for much of the month, mainly in the form of storms – across the region it was nearly twice the 30 year average – but thanks to the hot July, thick grape skins kept the fruit healthy and by early September the berries were beginning to show signs of ripeness. At this stage, there were fears of another 2003 in the offing, but sunny days and cool nights during September allowed the fruit to ripen both the skins and pips, bringing phenolic ripeness, vital to avoid any green or astringent notes in the final wines. Storm Henry’s arrival in the Médoc over the weekend of 12th-14th September left St Emilion and Pomerol virtually untouched, with just a small amount of welcome rain to refresh the vines, and the Moueix’s started harvesting in Pomerol on 11th September and in St Emilion on 23rd September with the Merlot. The Cabernets were all in by 1st October, with superb levels of maturity.

Whilst not able to declare 2015 overall a great year, owing to inconsistencies of quality in the Left Bank communes, we do believe that it is an outstanding year on the Right Bank, with Pomerol having a slight edge over St Emilion. Wines at every level show deliciously fresh fruit, explosively perfumed without being sweet or cloying, with incredibly rich, velvety tannins, some so beautifully integrated into the wine that it took effort to find them; finishes are long and persistent, hinting at what awaits the patient, whilst alcohol levels are raised but not excessively so. As ever, the most important component of any wine is balance, and these wines have an equilibrium rarely encountered in wines so juvenile. These are wines which are instantly alluring, temptingly drinkable already whilst being very clearly for the longer term with incredible finishes that are long and persistent.

The final word must as ever, go to the market; as we go to press, one or two early bird wines have been released registering slight increases over their 2014 prices – unsurprising as the vintage is good. However many growers, the Moueix amongst them, are worried about the implications of a possible Brexit on both the UK market and the international market. Every year, the Moueix underline their commitment to long term relationships with their customers and the end consumer, the person who will eventually drink their wine, by keeping their prices as reasonable as possible. After 2010, their prices dropped considerably but, in 2015, as might be expected, they have brought them back to levels which are appropriate to the quality of their wines; they are still far from greedy prices and we can only hope that their colleagues on the other side of the river follow their good example.

Click here for our full vintage report. Wines are offered subject to availability and may be subject to allocation. To place an order, please call us on 01353 721 999.

These wines will be shipped in the Spring of 2018. Private Cellar's terms & conditions of sale for en primeur purchases apply. E&OE.

Bottles per case

£ per case in bond

Château Puy Blanquet, St Emilion Grand Cru

95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Vibrant red black to the rim, not opaque, with a nose of creamed black fruit, blackcurrant and some blackberry yet warm and creamy too, leading to a smoothly fruited palate of creamed black fruit, smooth and fresh with substantial tannins just behind, with fine balancing acidity, going to a long, fresh finish. Delicious. Drink 2022 – 2032

12

£140

Château Pindefleurs, St Emilion Grand Cru

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Deep red black with a nose of sweet black fruit, sappy, pretty and very alluring, leading to a palate of sweet black fruit, very easy virtue with substantial ripe tannins behind, spiced and perfumed with a very attractive spiced finish.
Drink 2021 – 2029

98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Red black to the rim, not opaque, with a restrained nose of spiced black fruits, shy at present, leading to a palate of dense black fruit, spiced and grilled with substantial fresh fruit behind the ripe tannins, not lush but very bright, rich and spiced on the finish. Drink 2022 – 2030

12

£285

Château Bourgneuf, Pomerol

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Deep red black with creamy black fruit on the nose, grilled and rich, lightly spiced and with a distant hint of oak, leading to a palate of creamed black fruit on entry, rich and intense with substantial, supple ripe tannins behind, lovely density and texture, creamy yet serious with rich tannins and a long, structured finish which carries on evolving. A really fine Bourgneuf. Drink 2024 – 2032

12

£295

sold out

Château Certan de May, Pomerol

80% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
Jean-Claude Berrouet is now the consultant here. Vibrant red black with a very tight nose, closed with some spiced red and black fruit behind but very reticent at this stage, leading to an initially equally closed palate then rich, dense, intense black fruits follow through with substantial ripe tannins behind, as dense as the fruit they are supporting, with a rich, grilled back note and a long, spiced, creamed finish. Really impressive. Drink 2025 – 2034

12

£840

sold out

Château Hosanna, Pomerol

83% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc
A combination of poor flowering and old vines led to a substantial reduction in yield here, meaning even less Hosanna is available than usual. Deep red black, not opaque, with a tautly fruited nose of black and red fruit, very tight and restrained leading to a much more expressive palate of big black fruit, creamy and grilled, sweet and ripe, layered and rich, gorgeously expressive going to a long, evolving, spiced finish. Superb. Drink 2025 – 2040

6

£560

sold out

Château La Fleur Pétrus, Pomerol

92% Merlot, 7.5% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit Verdot
Dense red black right to the rim, semi-opaque, with a nose of creamed red and black fruit, warm and juicy, sweet too, leading to an intense palate of black fruits on entry, grilled with some Morello cherry notes, mineral and saline with lovely, subtle richness underscored by ripe yet well masked tannins and going to a long, evolving, rich finish. Gorgeous. Drink 2026 – 2040+

E&OE

6

£690

sold out

This page was printed from the following page on the Private Cellar website:http://www.privatecellar.co.uk/page/en-primeur/ets-jean-pierre-moueix-2015